Stride Out Safe & Steady

A group exercise and confidence building program to reduce risks of falls for seniors with vision impairment.

The launch of Stride Out Safe and Steady for April Falls Day on 01 April 2015 coincided with April Falls 2015 theme on “Confusion and Falls: Don’t let confusion cloud the risks of falls” as Stride Out Safe and Steady addresses risks of falls and alleviate associated confusion with confidence building for seniors with vision impairment.

In the ageing population people with visual impairment are among the high risk groups in falls, most of which are preventable. Research has shown that the prevalence of vision loss trebles with each decade over the age of 40 years old. This means that the incidence of vision loss is a real issue with older Australians who may have problems with balance, poor posture and low mobility dexterity. The threat of a fall can undermine mobility safety and personal confidence.

Stride Out Safe and Steady is a 10 weeks program comprising group exercise and confidence building focussing on the special needs of seniors with vision impairment to minimise falls risks. The program structure comprises practical and inspirational advice sessions on how to reduce risks of falls through a combination of specifically tailored exercises and a healthy active approach to sustain confidence and independence in orientation and mobility and daily functionalities for participants. Printed handouts are produced in bold large prints and in braille format on request.

Registration of interest to participate in the program is essential so as to facilitate establishing sufficient numbers of participants to start a class in a particular area. The venue, days and time will be determined accordingly. Registered participants will then be contacted by phone or email by the program coordinator. Participants need to be independently mobile and are required to arrange their own transport to get to the training venue which will be accessible by public transport.

As with all services from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, the program is FREE for seniors aged 55 years and over who have visual impairment. To register and to find out more please contact Guide Dogs NSW/ACT on freecall 1800 484 333 or 02-9412 9300 in Sydney.